Ventilator



L. W. HAMLIN Get. 5, 1954 VENTILATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1951 FIG. I.

INVENTOR LEWIS W. HAMLIN /5 FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS L. W. HAMLIN Oct. 5, 1954 VENTILATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1951 1NVENTOR LEWIS VI. HAM LIN 4 ATTORNEYS FIG.8.

Z/ /1- 'IlIIIIIl L"lln Patented st. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE VENTILATOR Lewis W. Hamlin, Little Rock, Ark.

Application July 19, 1951, Serial No. 237,592

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a ventilator for use in changing the air in confined areas, and more especially to a ventilator of the grill type protected by a screen and a closure member.

It is conventional to provide ventilators having one or more of these elements for use in buildings. They are especially desirable for use in the walls of buildings having a completely enclosed area, such as a space between the ground and the first floor, to ventilate the area.

In general, a ventilator embodying the present invention comprises a frame designed for mounting in a wall, and a screen, grill, and closure member which are removably mounted in the frame. This arrangement is highly advantageous because it enables either the screen or closure member to be replaced from the front of the ventilator by removing the grill. In addition, the assembled ventilator permits the closure member to be moved from a closed to an open position without the necessity of detaching it from the ventilator.

The ventilator shown in the drawings is for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it being understood that various changes can be made in the structure by one skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a ventilator embodying the present invention with the closure member in raised position.

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the closure member for the ventilator.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2 except that the closure member is in closed position.

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmental view in elevation of one corner of the ventilator shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a view taken along the line l-l of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a view taken along the line 88 of the Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the structure illustrated in the drawings, the ventilator comprises a four sided frame, generally indicated by the numeral which may be cast as one piece or fabricated by joining individual side members. The material from which this and other elements of the ventilator are made does not form a part of the invention and may be of any suitable type. However, all parts of the illustrated ventilator are of metal.

The frame I of the ventilator shown in the drawings is cast in one piece and comprises a top portion 2, side portions 3, and a bottom portion 4. All of this framing has an angle iron structure.

As best shown in Figure 6, one side 5 of this angle iron structure forms the rear surface of the frame I and joins with the remaining side 8 of the angle iron structure to form a recess which is designed to receive a screen I and a grill 8. The screen is of conventional structure and the grill may be strengthened by a plurality of transverse members.

The bottom portion 4 of the frame I is also provided with a pair of spaced projections 9, each of which is notched to form abutments l0 and I! to assist, respectively, in holding the grill 8 within the frame and to secure a closure member l2 in closed position.

In addition to the angle iron structure, the top portion 2 of the frame I is provided with a lintel. As best shown in Figure 6 this lintel has an H- shaped portion it which is spaced from the angle iron construction by a horizontally extending slot I l. The slot I4 is partly closed by a flange 55 extending downwardly from the H-shaped portion of the lintel. The slot M is also divided vertically at the center by a partition 16 which connects the upper and lower sections forming the top portion 4.

The extremities of the exterior surface of the flange :5 are provided with sockets ll designed to receive a pair of upstanding projections l8 extending from the upper corners of the grill 8. These projections it also extend across the slot M in parallel relation to the partition 16. The lower corners of the frame 8 and the corners of the lintel of the top portion 2 are also provided with horizontally extending lugs is designed to secure the frame I to the wall of the building construction in which the assembled ventilator is to be mounted.

As best shown in Figure 3, the closure member I2 is provided with a slot 28, an operating handle 25, and a pair of horizontally extending ears 22. It may, therefore, be readily made from a single piece of sheet metal.

The ventilator may be readily assembled either before or after the frame i is placed in position in the building construction. Another important advantage resides in the fact that any of the removable elements forming the ventilator may be readily detached for any reason, including the substitution of a new element, after the installation of the frame.

In assembling the device, the closure member I2 is inserted into the slot M of the top piece 2 in such a manner that the slot 20 of the closure member 12 will register with the abutment l8 of the top portion 2. The screen I is then placed in position within the recess formed by the sides 5 and 6 of the angle irons of the frame I.

The grill 8 is locked in position by inserting the upstanding projections I8 into the sockets I! formed in the fiange 15 of the top portion 2. As these projections 18 extend across the slot [4 they will engage the ears 22 of the closure member l2, thereby preventing its removal and providing a point around which the closure member l2 may be pivoted.

The lower end of the grill 8 is then forced over the spaced projections 9 mounted onthe bottom portion 4 of the frame until the bottom edge of the grill rests against abutments 10. This operation locks grill 8 in position. The screen '1 is secured within the recess between the periphery of the grill 8 and the flange ,5.

When it is desired, the closure member 12 may be pulled outwardly from the slot l4 and pivoted around the axis provided by the projections and lowered to serve as a cover for the grill 8. The cover member may be locked in position by forcing its lower periphery over the lugs 9 so as to engage abutments H. The ventilator may be readily opened by raising the cover l2 by means of the handle 2| and returning it to an inoperative position within the slot I4. Another highly advantageous feature resides in the fact that both the cover 12 and screen I may be readily removed for cleaning or replacement merely by removal of the grill 8 and without any interference with the frame I. This is an important advantage because the frame forms a permanent part of the building construction.

I claim:

1. In a foundation ventilator of the character described, in combination, a foundation frame having frame members defining a ventilating opening, a slot in one of said frame members extending parallel substantially co-extensively with the adjacent edge of the ventilating opening, a cover having an entrant edge at said frame member slot and parallel therewith, a lug extending sidewise from each corner of said edge of the cover, said cover when in position normal to the plane of the ventilating opening being slidable rearwardly and forwardly in said slot, confining and journal means removably seated in said slot in the paths of forward movement of said cover lugs and adapted to be pivotally engaged by said cover lugs when the coveris slid forward in saidv slot to its extreme forward position and stop complete forward withdrawal of the cover from the slot, said lugs journaling against said stop and journal means as said cover is rotated in to position parallel with and closing said ventilating opening.

2. In a foundation ventilator as set forth in claim 1, in which said slotted frame member has a transverse abutment intermediate the ends of the slot and said cover has a slot terminating short of its edge opposite said entrant cover edge and adapted to slidably harbor said abutment, the end of said cover slot constituting a stop which by engaging said abutment limits the extent of rearward movement of said cover through said slot.

3. In a foundation ventilator as set forth in claim 1, in which the ventilator frame member opposite said slotted frame member has cover confining projections extending toward the slotted frame member and overlapping and releasably confining the adjacent edge of the cover against outward movement when the cover is in closed position.

4. In a foundation ventilator as set forth in claim 1 in which said confining and journal means comprises a grill adapted to be seated removably in said ventilator frame and having on one edge a pair of outwardly extending propections seating respectively in the paths of forward movement of said lugs on said cover, and said ventilator frame having confining sockets receiving said projections therein and preventing forward displacement of said cover confining projections of the grill.

5. In a foundation ventilator as set forth in claim 4, in which the edges of the grill opposite said end having said confining projections is bers, holding means disposed against the front face of said screening maintaining said screening against said second fianges unattached thereto, said holding means including a holding member and coacting means on said ventilator frame and holding member releasably holding said holding member against said screening, said coacting means including a grill having projections extending from the top edge of the grill and sockets on said frame removably receiving said projections, and also including upwardly extending projections on the lower frame member of the ventilator frame and adapted to overlap and releasably confine the lower edge of said grill against forward movement, the frame member at the upper edge of said ventilating opening having a longitudinal slot extending parallel with and substantially co-extensively with said opening edge, a cover slidably seated in said slot to slide forwardly and rearwardly therein, a sidewise extending lug on each rear corner of said cover, and said projections on the top edge of said grill extending into said slot and in the path of forward movement of said lugs of said cover, whereby said cover is prevented from complete removal in a forward direction through said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,328 Showalter et a1. July 14, 1885 1,022,547 Hansen Apr. 9, 1912 2,245,931 Meyer June 1'7, 1941 

